Stacking up on coupons is one of the ways to save when you are buying or shopping for groceries.

While coupons entail a lot of cutting (which means it’s a lot or work!), you can save a great deal if you have enough coupons to take with you as you shop.

Imagine saving up to 50 percent of your allotted budget for an item.

For newbies, here are top five extreme tips on using shopping coupons to get your started:

1. Spend your weekends cutting out coupons

This activity is not for the lazy. If you’re bent on saving a lot during your next trip to the supermarket, make time for cutting out coupons. One newspaper is not enough to search for coupons. Ask your colleagues, family, and friends for other issues of dailies and magazines and start your hunt for these coupons. You would find a lot in Sunday newspapers and you could even get unused copies. More copies would mean you could get more coupons. There are also online resources and raffle draws for promo codes.

2. Identify what kind of couponer you are: casual, skilled, or extreme.

If you’re an extreme couponer, you are ready to get hold of coupons and not just pair them with discounted items, but also to stockpile them. The extreme couponer keeps two kinds of coupons: the manufacturer’s coupons and the store coupons. If you want to save a lot on your next purchase, get as many coupons as you can and bring them with you during your next visit to the supermarket.

3. Use a spreadsheet for your coupons

This really does sound extreme, but nothing beats organizational skills in identifying the purpose of the coupon, when it’s going to be used, any terms and/or conditions, in which supermarket or product it is applicable, and other details relevant to the use of the coupon. This is a great practice for beginners, especially of you want to be careful with the spending of your coupons. It will also help you recall when the coupons would be expiring. Using a spreadsheet will help you save time.

4. Plan your purpose when shopping

To ensure that you won’t overspend your coupons on items that you don’t really need, have a clear purpose of what you want to buy. Stay away from marketing ploys and stick to your budget list. Get inside the supermarket, get the deals using your coupons, and get out of the establishment — FAST.

5. Identify your price points

These price points are the maximum price, which means it is the highest price that an item costs; the average price, which is normal price point for an item; the stock-up price, which is also known as the rock-bottom price; and the deal price, which means that the item is on sale. If you know your price points, you can easily organize your coupons and you would know which coupon to use for a certain price point. It’s called strategic shopping and being a wise consumer!

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Using a Coupon

How do I use a coupon code? Click on "SHOW COUPON". When you check out on the store's website, paste the code in the coupon code box. Stores occasionally label this a coupon code, but it is also referred to as a promotional code, promo code or discount code.